Big Bears First Snowfall of the 2018/2019 Season is Here!

Our first storm of the season delivering on its promise to bring cold and windy wet weather to the area. Expect mostly cloudy skies through midday with rain, possibly moderate to heavy at times with the snow level currently hovering around 8,800 feet. Locally windy today with southwest winds 15-30mph, gusts near 50mph are possible with temperatures in the lower 40’s, gradually cooling throughout the day. The main cold front will push through the area this afternoon, with additional disturbances moving through and scattered showers continuing. The colder air will also filter in behind the front with the snow level gradually lowering to around 6,000 feet by tonight. Rainfall estimates are still in the 1-3″ range, with higher amounts on the lower coastal slopes, then several inches of snow are possible. Snowfall amounts of a foot or more are likely at or above 8,000 feet, but could be adjusted if the snow level drops sooner than expected. Still a very dynamic situation, so be ready for just about everything mother nature has to throw at us! Snow showers will taper off Friday morning giving us a short break between storms; roads will become icy, travel with extreme caution! A much colder low is forecast to move through the area over the weekend with additional snow showers possible Saturday evening into early Sunday; this system has a little better potential to bring a few more inches of snow! Much colder over the weekend as well with daytime temps falling to the 30’s, while overnight lows drop into the teens and even single digits. We will enjoy fair and slightly warmer weather early next week, that may be short lived with another potentially strong storm towards next Wednesday & Thursday. If traveling into the mountains through this weekend, be prepared for rapidly changing weather and always carry tire chains; conditions are expected to deteriorate Thursday through the weekend.

Not everyone may be familiar with how to put on tire chains, or maybe you just want to be sure, in either case be sure to check out httpss://www.dmv.org/how-to-guides/tire-chains.php for instructions on how to put the chains on. For more of a visual step-by-step, go to httpss://youtu.be/oH3rL6tqUj0.  We want to make sure you not only have an enjoyable stay, but a safe one too.

If you are wanting to plan ahead for your trip and stay on top of road conditions, go to https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ for CalTrans maps (there is an app you can download for this as well for convenience).

Big Bear is a popular destination year round but snow definitely increases the number of visitors, so as always, be sure to drive safely and we look forward to seeing you soon!